Apparatus for separating integument-free segments of citrus fruits



May 6', 1941. R. FOLK, 92., ET AL. 2,240,909

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING INTEGUMENT-FREE SEGMENTS OF CITRUS FRUITS Original Filed April 15, 1958 '4 gVENTOR.

6/ l .Zo/Z r. z a! ATTORNEY.

Patented May 6, 1941 APPARATUS FOR- SEPARATING INTEGU- MENT-FREE' SEGMENTS OF CITRUS Ralph. Polk, SrQMiami, and Ralph Polk, Jr.,

Haines City, Fla.,assignors to The Polk Development Company, Tampa, Fla., a copartnership of Florida Original application April 13, 1938, Serial No.

. 1939,.Serial No..281,858

3 Claims. (01. 146-3) This application is a division from our application Serial No. 201,732, filed April 13, 1938, which has matured to Patent No, 2,199,345 granted April 30, 1940 and is directed to the subject matter illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of that application.

In order to can, or otherwise hermetically package, the edible portions of citrus fruits, it is desirable to extract from the fruit the segmented juice-cell groups substantially whole and free of the inedible radial integuments.

To that end, we have provided the mechanism forming the subject matter of this application.

The accompanying drawing illustrates our invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of two co-acting circular series of tines adapted to be projected polarwise in opposite directions into a peeled citrus fruit; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of a peeled citrus fruit into which the two sets of tines have been projected together with a plan of an enveloping guard to limit the outward movement of the segregated juice-cell groups.

In the drawing I0 indicates a rotary spindle, conveniently on a vertical axis, having at one end a series of comparatively small diameter tines I I set in a circumferentially spaced circular series at a diameter such that the tines may be projected into the fruit parallel with the core to somewhat less than, but nearly equal to, the

average number of fruit segments. The head I0 is journalled on a suitable support X so as to be rotatable about the axis of its group of tines. The rotary spindle I3 is axially aligned with spindle I0 and at one end carries a series of tines I4 arranged in a circumferentially spaced circular series. The number of tines I4 may be less than the number of tines I I and they are radially spaced from the axis of spindle I3 to lie outside the tines H but nevertheless quite close thereto so that when projected into the fruit, they will lie within the apices of the juice-cell groups and radially spaced outside of tines II by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of two adherent radial integuments I2. The spindle I3 is journalled upon a suitable support Y so as to be rotatable about the axis of its group of tines and the support Y is shiftable axially of said group of tines, as indicated by the arrows.

The fruit having been penetrated by the tines Divided and this application June 29,

II, and being supported thereon, is preferably acted. upon by a suitable tool, such as a knife, to break the bonds between one face of a plurality of juice-cell groups and the adherent radial integuments.

Thereupon the series of tines I4 is projected into the fruit and one set of tines is rotated relative to the other set in the direction to cause the tines I4 to engage the integuments which have not been separated from their juice-cell groups so that further relative rotation of the two sets of tines operates to crowd the tines I4 along the bonded faces of those integuments and thus free the juice-cell groups therefrom.

The action appears to be a tensioning of the bonded integument causing it to slip from the juice-cell group by relative movement substantially in the bonding plane.

For instance, suppose that, in Fig, 2, the tines I4 be rotated counter-clockwise and that the natural bonds, clockwise behind the tines III, have been previously ruptured by the knife action previously described; the entire group of integuments is held against rotation by tines II; the tines I4 crowd against the still bonded integuments and wrap them counter-clockwise around the group II and therefore, in effect, travel outwardly along the bonded faces of the integuments and pushing against the juice-cell groups, shove said groups in such manner as to slip them from the bonded integuments.

The operation is a very efiective one resulting in a large proportion of substantially-whole, integument-free, juice-cell segments ready to be packed in containers.

The tine-group I4 may be dispensed with. After preliminary separation of one integument from each juice-cell group, the tine group II may be rotated at high speed, whereupon the juice-cell groups will be thrown centrifugally from the integuments which will be retained as a group on tine II. In this operation, it is desirable to limit the outward movement of the freed juice-cell groups by an enveloping guard I5.

We have, at times, obtained satisfactory results when using only one or two tines I4 in conjunction with the tine-group II but a slightly larger number of tines I4, though less than the number of tines I I, is probably desirable.

We claim as our invention:

1. Means for manipulating citrus fruits comprising a circular series of parallel tines projectable into the fruit between the radial integuments thereof within and adjacent the apices of said integuments, a finger parallel with said ger in an orbit of larger diameter than the tines. V

and that one may be rotated to cause relative revolution between tines and finger about a common axis and the tines and finger being of such lengths that upon such relative revolution the radial integuments will be wrapped'around the tines series between said tinesand finger.

2. Apparatus for acting on citrus fruit comprising, a head provided with acircular series of small tines of a length g-reater.than half a fruit diameter and'arranged in a circular series circumferentially spaced and radially spaced from the axis of the group by an amount'such that the tines, when projected polarwise into a fruit, will lie within apices of the V-shaped integuments of the fruit, and a second head carrying one or more tines projecting from said second head parallel with the tines of the first head and so spaced as to be nestable over the first-mentioned series of tines parallel therewith and radially beyond the tines' of the first-mentioned series by an amount slightly greater than the combined thickness of two bonded radial integuments of a fruit, one of said heads being rotatable about the axis of the first-mentioned circular series of tines while the tines 0f the second head encompass'the tines of the first head. 3. Apparatus for segmenting citrus fruits comprising, a plurality of relatively small parallel tin'esarranged in a circular series circumferentially'spaced and radially distanced so as to be projecta'ble' between radial integuments of the fruit closely within fruit segment apices, a second circular series of parallel tines coaxial with the first'series and closely nestable thereabout, and

a support for one series whereby said series may be rotated relative to the other after fruit penetration by both series.

. RALPH POLK, SR. RALPH POLK, JR. 

